SquareMeal Review of The Bluebird Café by the Lake

Named after Donald Campbell’s record-breaking boat, The Bluebird was once a rough-and-ready caff where you could get a decent toasted sarnie before boarding the historic steam Gondola to take a
trip round the lake. That’s still on offer, but a rather elegant, contemporary restaurant – all glass and blond wood – has recently been tacked onto the original venue. The evening menu might
include baked brie with Lyth Valley damson compote or locally smoked peppered mackerel with creamed horseradish and citrus potato salad. Mains feature more local produce: a plate of Herdwick Hogget
cutlets with minted potato mash is a cracker. The views down Coniston Water and over to Ruskin’s Brantwood Estate and Grizedale Forest are stunning; on a summer night, with the boats bobbing on the
lake, you could almost imagine you were in Italy. A magical place.